


Amusement Park

by littleballofsunshyne



Category: Sanders Sides
Genre: Angst and Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Fluff, Gen, Men Crying, Platonic Relationships, Sympathetic Dark Sides (Sanders Sides), Teasing, Thomas Sanders References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:46:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28791915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleballofsunshyne/pseuds/littleballofsunshyne
Summary: The adventures of the sides as they enjoy a full day of amusement park fun. From rides to games to houses and food. A lot of laughs, angst, and heartwarming moments!
Comments: 6
Kudos: 5





	Amusement Park

**Author's Note:**

> You can check out the rest of my work on my one-shots collection! This is chapter five.  
> It is not canon (as far as I am aware) that any of the signs know ASL. However, it is my personal head-canon that Remus and Logan learned it when they were young children. It was a way for them to keep playing make-belief at night without waking the others up.  
> Also, yes the green plush dino was a reference to my previous chapter: Nightmare's Tears.  
> Also also, I am sorry for all the Roman angst. I leaned in hard this fic...  
> I hope everyone enjoyed, I know it has been a long time since I posted. This is the longest fanfic I've wrote! You are all beautiful and loved, never forget that. Take care in 2021 my lads, ladies, and non-binary daisies!!

Life for the sides had been quite busy recently. They were all stressed and overworked. Saying they were tired was an understatement. That is how they ended up all taking the day off together to relax and recharge. After a refreshing morning nap, they all got ready for the fun day ahead of them. They were going to an amusement park! Filling the car with snacks and sweaters, they all piled into the vehicle. Logan took the driver’s seat, and Janus claimed shotgun. The other four piled into the back, quite squished together. They needed to upgrade the car soon.  
They all got buckled in, and Logan started the car. Janus was in charge of all the supplies. He had directions and snacks. The one thing he didn’t have was music control. That was Roman’s department. Once they were all settled in, the music debate of listening to Cardi B or Eminem was settled by Logan, saying to put on Thomas’ songs. They all thought that was the best idea. Janus handed them their snacks to sustain them until carnival food. Remus and Virgil got Goldfish and grape juice, while Patton and Roman got animal crackers and apple juice boxes. Once the twins swapped their juice boxes, as they always did, Janus gave each of them a t-shirt in their respective colour. Curious, they unfolded the shirts to see the text on the front: If lost, return to Logan and Janus. Embarrassed, Roman spoke up.  
“Oh come on! Why do we need these? We’re like the same age as you guys. Also, no one is going to know who you are, so how could they return us to you?”  
“I’m not sure Roman,” Patton replied with excitement, “I think the shirts are fun.”  
“You may be our age physically, but mentally? Not so confident about that,” Janus teased, showing Roman his and Logan’s shirt that said I am Janus, and I am Logan, “See, now they will know.”  
Knowing he lost the fight, Roman huffed as he cupped out his hand, and Janus filled it with more crackers.

Pulling into the park's parking lot, they all gasped at the extraordinary sight. It was huge. The roller coaster was the most attention-grabbing. It was so big and tall that part of it went over the parking lot. Getting out of the car, Virgil jumped at the unsuspecting sound of screams above from the roller coaster cart going by. They all rolled up to the entry booth in their matching t-shirts, and Janus had never felt so cool. Man, he was becoming a mom.  
They entered the park with green entry wristbands, and Remus laughed victoriously at them.  
“Hah, I win today, losers!”  
Logan pulled out his schedule and then compared it to the large map.  
“Alright, to get in everyone's favourite parts of the park in the time we have, then I suggest we go in a circle. Starting on the left, go to every section until we reach right back here.”  
He pointed to the park zones on the map; the rides, booth games, food, and walkthrough houses. I suggest we go in the order of rides, snacks, booth games, walkthrough houses, then dinner and home. Does that work?”  
They all nodded in agreement, for the plan was perfect. Logan’s plans were always perfect, so it was no surprise. They headed into the rides zone, practically skipping there due to the excitement.  
They spent the most time in this area to Remus’ delight. He lived for the fast rides. The wind through his hair, the exhilaration, the screams of others paired with his maniacal laughter. It was all he ever wanted. He and Patton were partners for the rides, which he loved because Patton had the best reactions. He never hid his fear or excitement. It made Remus laugh with delight how free he felt here. They went on every ride at least twice, running from ride to ride to beat the other groups there. The first round of rides was a delight for the pair, laughing so hard their sides ached in endorphins. The second round wasn’t as pleasant. Patton was more reserved and seemed nervous to get on the rides, and sometimes Patton would close his eyes throughout parts. Even though Remus was still living in the rush and thrill of it all, he knew Patton wouldn’t last much longer down this path. He was getting motion sick. With a heavy heart, Remus took his partner out of the tilt-a-whirl line and over to his parents (whoops, my finger slipped, I meant Logan and Janus ;) ).  
“Janus! Terrible news! My partner is cursed with motion sickness and can not go on any more rides! What am I to do? How am I to ride every ride thrice in the time it takes for the other two to ride them twice? I am partnerless. I need a partner and quick!”  
“Tell you what,” Janus reassured him, “You ride the rides solo as long as I can see you.”  
“Really?!”  
The joy Remus got from even more freedom was not masked well.  
“Really… quick, go! What are you standing around for? Each second is another ride lost in your competition!”  
Remus ran back in line as quickly as he could, making sure to wave in line at Janus, and Janus returned it with a thumbs up each ride he went on. Patton sat down beside Logan, who had claimed the perfect bench. Guaranteed 360-degree shade no matter how the sun moved, stain-free, sturdy, and far enough out of the way from the crowd as to not have anyone trip over their feet or ruin their vibe. Yes, Logan does vibe-checks each place he goes to because he is cool like that. Janus sat down on the other side of Patton and handed him a cool water bottle to take small sips out of, along with a few saltine crackers. They sat in silence, watching the crowd walk by and people flailing on the rides. Logan and Janus had small conversations here and there about random things. Like Logan’s wonder about how they test rides without human casualties and Janus being strangely knowledgeable about the topic. Patton didn’t listen or contribute to the conversation, for he was too into the zone. Not focusing on anything, staring at the ground and sipping water while he let the green colour drain away from his face.  
Roman ran by them, dragging Virgil unwillingly with him, waving. Confusion registered on his face, and he u-turned back over to them. Making Virgil halt and stumble his way back too.  
“What is going on? Why is my brother not with his partner? Where did he go?”  
“It's fine, Patton had to take a break, so I let Remus go on his own,” Janus answered.  
“Alright,” Roman replied, unconvinced he looked at the group, but their expressions didn’t help much.  
Roman continued with his partner, leaving the group behind. They headed towards the small train. Roman loved the slow rides, although he would tell the others it was Virgil’s idea. I mean, no one would question that. He knew everyone pinned him for the brave, fast-ride type of guy, but he enjoyed the moments where he could take in his surroundings and have good conversations with others, and slow rides let him do that.  
After having a wonderful conversation with his emo about if a guy was more attractive with a button-up shirt or crop top, the small train came to a halt, and they had to get off the ride. Struggling to get out of the small seats, their one shared brain-cell eventually figured it out. Suddenly Remus passed by them. A grin Roman knew only too well twisted across his face. This could not be good.  
“Heard a rumour that the bumper cart line was getting shorter,” Remus said casually. Virgil’s head perked up, and excitement shone in his eyes, the eyeshadow turning purple. Oh great, Remus wanted to steal Virgil from him, so rude and unfair! He wasn't going to stop Virgil from going, but he didn’t want to be left behind either.  
“Bumper Cars… are you suggesting that I can throw all my built-up rage at you in a completely acceptable way?” Virgil played along.  
“And no one would even know,” Remus said coolly, convincingly, practically flirting with Virgil. How could he be so cruel to Roman! Speechless, he couldn’t even find a way to argue a response before Remus and Virgil ran off together towards the bumper car line. Before they’re out of earshot, Roman desperately yells.  
“Why are you guys leaving me? I’m being stood-up! By Gerrard Gay and my evil wanna-be-me twin brother! Come on! Am I dreaming?”  
“Roman, you’re a prince,” Virgil turned around and lovingly rolled his eyes when he saw the betrayal on Roman’s face, “just find another prince and woo him to hang out with you. There must be plenty around this place. It is packed!”  
With that, they disappeared into the sea of people. Roman couldn’t believe it. He was alone and betrayed! Why did this always happen to him! He sulkily sulked his royal sulky self back over to the group. Leaving behind his betrayers.  
Walking up to Logan, Janus, and Patton, he noticed how much brighter the mood was now. They were all laughing together while looking at the camera screen. Huddled together on the bench, they all seemed comfortable and relaxed with each other. Patton is in the middle, holding the camera. He leaned against Janus when he laughed, and Logan had to lean further to keep seeing the screen. Amidst the laughter, Patton looked up long enough to make eye contact with Roman, motioning him over to join them, but not long enough to notice the exposed sadness Roman wore at that moment. Being a strong and well-mannered prince, he brushed aside his feelings and joined the others, putting on his smile.  
“Roman, Roman, Roman!” Patton said quickly and full of excitement that he arrived, “look at these!”  
“Wait, what are you looking at?” Roman said before gasping. Instead of vocalizing, Patton grabbed his hand and pulled the prince down to sit between him and Logan on the bench. His face immediately burned with embarrassment when he saw the camera. They had found ancient photos from their childhood. The one displayed was when they were of preschool age. Roman and Logan were covered in mud because they had fought over Thomas’ attention. While during that time, Thomas was picking dandelions with Patton to make the largest possible bouquet.  
“Ugh, these are so embarrassing! Why are you looking at them?”  
“There are so many forgotten memories in these pictures,” Patton smiled, “For example… take this group photo from the 19th birthday.”  
It was taken in the living room when they had a spa party. They were all wearing drippy facial masks and painted each other's nails. Footbaths were on the ground, and Roman could still remember the smell of fresh naan bread and smoothies, being overpowered by nail polish. So much glitter and too many dreams.  
“Oh wow, I forgot about this birthday!” Janus said, bringing Roman out of his recollective daydream.  
“Let's take a photo now! To remember this day.” Patton initiated. He put the camera in selfie mode, and Roman adjusted his hair.  
“You too, Logan,” Patton said.  
Logan, who was even further from the camera now, had lost interest. He was looking over his planner and consulting the map. Slowly he put them down and scooted over, unenthused. Now that they were all in the frame, they smiled, waiting for the click. Just as Patton pressed the button, Roman swiped Janus’ hat and Janus, surprised, tried to quickly get it back. Laughing, Roman tossed the hat back, excited to see the silly photo. Looking at it made Roman and Patton giggle. Roman looked all smug while wearing the hat, Patton was looking at Janus with a face of shock, Janus angrily failed to swipe the hat back, and Logan concentrated hard to make a natural-looking smile.

They had finally made it. Twenty minutes of waiting in a sun-beaming, hands-sweaty, mom’s spaghetti, line. They were at the front of the bumper kart lineup. Virgil had never been so excited to be in a crowd of people before. Usually, he’d be full of anxious thoughts, but this was different. In this setting, there were rules, and everyone was so focused on driving they didn’t care about anyone else. It was perfect. Virgil could focus on smacking Remus senseless, if he had any sense to begin with, instead of blending into the crowd. Remus grabbed his cold hand, thawing it immediately and pulled him forward. The gate had been opened, and it was their turn to pick a car. Virgil watched as Remus went for the shiny new car with green racer stripes. He wiggled around in the seat until he got comfortable and rubbed his hands up and down the wheel as if he needed to wear it in. With a glimmer of joy in his eyes, he told Virgil he was going to destroy this new beauty. Virgil opted for the beat-up black car. The underdog car. He knew this car was no one's first choice, and he pitied for it. He carefully climbed into the car, as if it would break under his touch. The interior was as sturdy as ever. It was a deceptive car... he related. This car felt like an extension of himself, and he loved that. The timer counted down, and the electrical sparks started to buzz on the roof. He made eye contact with Remus, just as the buzz to begin went off. Maneuvering was involved, but Virgil knew who had to be his first hit.

Leaving the bumper car zone took a hot minute. It was hard to make any progress when you kept walking in circles. Their bodies vibrated, the impact of the hits not yet worn off. By the time they found the group, they were able to walk in a straight line again, and their vision became steady. Remus sat down on the bench, smiling super wide. It was the happiest Virgil had seen him in a while. It was probably the most social interaction he had in a long time. This setting was also totally his vibe. Looking at him, he gave off serotonin and dopamine like it was a yard sale. Patton, full of his usual oxytocin, gave Virgil a soft hug and large puppy dog eyes, and now, whatever Patton said, he had to reply with yes.  
“Virgil, Virgil, Virgil! Guess what? Nevermind guessing I’ll tell you that Janus found out there is a bouncy castle around here, and we have to go on it!” Patton spoke at rapid-fire speed. He was ecstatic about this, “C’mon please say yes. It’s going to be fun~”  
“Yes, we must go right away! That sounds wicked,” Virgil tried to match Patton’s tone of excitement. He then looked over to Janus, who suggested the idea and realized he did it in hopes he could come along. But being the snakey boi he was, wasn’t bold enough to say anything outright. So Virgil helped him out, “Hey, um Jan? Please join us? To uhh... Hold our shoes? You know, kids love to steal them, and I really… love… my shoes… heh.”  
“Oh, yay… aha I am so not interested, but I guess I could since you want me to.”  
Janus smiled, knowing Virgil read him too well. Out of all the sides, Virgil was the most observant. Well, some would debate Logan, but even if he was observant, he lacked the emotions to understand what he observed to help others out. That’s why he loved this emo boy. They headed to the bouncy castle, and the two absolute children flung their shoes at Janus and jumped into the house. Not even bothering to say thanks or bye. He was sure they would be thankful afterwards, so he peacefully let them go to have fun as he collected the shoes. Those two were polar-opposites in almost every way. Patton, with his ankle-length sky blue converse. Covered in paintings of clouds and held together by bubblegum pink laces, they were not hard to spot. Virgil sported deep black platform sneakers covered in chains, buckles, spikes, and sewn-on patches. They were also easy to find because of how extra they were. But even by just looking at their shoes, you can predict their personality instantly.  
Getting bored with standing in the beating sun waiting, he pulled out his camera. It was small and sleek, a basic-silver Nikon. He considered fiddling with the buttons but determined that by doing so, he’d mess up the settings, and he’d gone to Logan too many times for technical help, the thought of facing him again felt like an ultimate shame. It was safer to leave it. Instead, he decided to take some pictures of Patton and Virgil having fun. He walked around the bouncy castle until he found an open area covered by mesh. He spotted the two instantly. Apparently, the shirts were useful.  
Taking cute shots of them holding hands, laughing, falling, helping each other up. It was adorable. Janus considered getting their attention so they’d look at the camera, but there were too many people inside, and it would be hard for them to hear him yell. Somehow though, without saying a word, he caught eyes with Patton, who waved to him. Janus waved back. He watched as Patton then pointed him out to Virgil, who also waved to him. Janus waved back, prepping his camera. Virgil shook his head furiously and waved him to join them while exaggeratedly mouthing “idiot”. Janus made a face of offence while putting down his camera, bag, and the boy’s shoes. He quickly slipped off his shiny black loafers and ran in to join them. Getting inside was such a struggle that he toppled over the boys when trying to stand. They had so much fun laughing obnoxiously, making faces and gently knocking each other over (which is all it took in a bouncy house) that they totally did not stay past their one hour ticket.

Logan knew it was snack time. He could tell by their body language: slow movements, intently watching people with food pass by and their lack of excitement for the rides. The group was worn out of the rides. He declares with no enthusiasm (obviously, do you guys know who he is?) that it is time to buy snacks. They followed their noses, leading them to the canteen. It was easiest if Logan ordered the whole thing because he spoke clearly and concisely; they learned that through many painful experiences. It was like he was a parent of five children. He remembered one unfond memory of when he took them all out to a restaurant; why Logan thought that was a good idea, he will never know.  
They were sitting on dark brown leather booths surrounding in a u-shape on their small wooden-planked square table. The light brown walls are covered with pictures and paintings of cattle and produce. The yellow lighting and smell of chicken surrounded Logan. It was a western restaurant. It was a newly opened small restaurant that seemed quite friendly and promising. So needless to say, he will never come back here after the embarrassment of what happened. He strategically placed himself between Roman and Patton while Janus was between Remus and Virgil. Patton and Virgil sat next to each other because their personalities balanced quite well together when in public. The twins were at opposite ends of the table. The tension between the twins was inevitable, so keeping them separated was the best way to prolong the inevitable. Of course, Remus had to start flicking paper balls he made from his straw wrapper at Roman’s face. He did it because Roman was the most reactionary. Patton and Virgil began to play a hand-clapping game that gave Logan a headache. He already wanted to go home even though they had not even gotten the menus yet. When they did get menus, they were pages long. Logan knew this would not end well. Virgil began to get anxious at the overwhelming amount of choices, and Patton struggled to concentrate on the menu. Remus only wanted dessert. Janus only seemed interested in the wine menu, and Roman could not find anything he wanted to eat. Logan wanted to order a room-for-one to go. To shorten the tale, Roman and Remus argued to the point where Janus had to cover Remus’ mouth so he wouldn’t blurt-out any more obscene imagery to strangers. If they knew Remus, they’d understand why Janus did what he had to, but to strangers, it did not look good. Patton tried to calm down Roman. Logan noticed Virgil start to have an anxiety attack. In a fluster of frustration, he slammed his fist on the table and told everyone to go back to the car. Logan wrote an apology on a napkin and left $10 under his empty cup. He drove them home; the whole car silent. Once home Logan was too fed up with them and went straight to his room. He paced back and forth, wishing everyone could just be more civilized! A little while later, Patton tentatively came into his room to drop off the leftover stir-fry they had made. That was the last time they went out to eat as a group.  
On “better” occasions, they would behave. Virgil always mumbled to the waiter, making it barely audible to anybody what he wanted. Roman always flirted with the waiter, Patton was too indecisive and panicked, Remus never cooperated, and Janus ordered the same thing as Logan. That’s why Logan did the ordering for the group. It was easier, calmer, and no one died. He quickly placed their order and returned to the picnic table while balancing three plastic trays. Remus, Roman, and Virgil all got fries and slushies. Janus got onion rings, and Patton got cotton-candy. Logan ordered himself an iced coffee to survive the rest of the day. The moment of silence while they ate was shocking to Logan. Of course, it only took Remus a few seconds to break it. He grabbed an onion ring and examined it carefully. Everyone watched his movements, for they were curious. Remus bit into the ring, taking the breading off the onion and letting it flop onto his fingers. He smiled, satisfied.  
“Janus, I’ve figured it out,” Remus stifled a laugh, and Janus sighed, waiting for the punchline, “you like these onion rings because these onions are slimy! Like a snake.”  
He whispered the last line like it was some big secret. Although the joke received a lot of laughs, it also got a smack upside the head from Janus.  
“Jerk,” Janus smiled.

It was booth time! Roman’s favourite. This was his time to shine. He loved to impress others and win prizes. It was the look of wonder, joy, and thankfulness they would bear when he gave them the prize. That he adored. Roman was so good at booth games he couldn’t remember a time when he lost one. He took a big stretch, cracking his knuckles, to show he was warmed-up for the event. He grabbed a handful of gold game tokens from Logan, and grinned from ear to ear.  
“Today’s going to be a winning day, I can feel it,” Roman declared to the group as if he was giving a speech before the battle, “the sun is warm, the air is fresh, my senses are focused, and the booth-people have just restocked for me. Just you wait, I’m going to impress you all!”  
With that, Roman ran off towards the booths. The warm wind lets you know it is summer, but autumn is just around the corner. It would ripple his hair. He leaped in his steps, moving in the most joyfully-fast way. He would start at ball toss, he decided, because he always started with ball toss. The man running the booth was older in age but had a smile that showed he had lived a happy life. Roman wondered if he’d have that smile. Stepping up to the booth, he poked a bit of fun,  
“Hello, good sir! May I take part in your ball toss challenge?”  
“Why, of course, young man, one token please.”  
The older man gave Roman his biggest prize after being blown away by Roman’s performance. Not once did he miss! Roman took the oversized, red, stuffed bear and gave it a big hug. It was good quality. Soft, comforting, yup! Definitely something he could muffle his cry into late at night. He ran over to the others, who all just stared in disbelief. He gave it to Janus to hold on to. Janus sighed as he headed to drop it off in their car because there was no way it would fit in the stroller.  
Roman proceeded to go from booth to booth, not acing it like that first round, but always winning. He made sure to win at least one prize for everyone. To show Roman cared for all of them. At the bottle-knocking booth, he won a pen for Logan, who smiled gratefully and put it in his pocket. Logan liked useful, boring things. So Roman opted for the pen over the plush. Stepping up to the balloon and darts stand was a walk in the park for him because every time he aimed the dart at a balloon, he just imagined Remus’ face stamped on them. It was a great motivator. He gave that prize to Remus. Driven by brotherly love, he threw it at Remus’s face. Catching it and looking at the prize with disgust, Remus chucked it into the stroller. Roman had won Janus one of those sticky hand slappers. He thought Janus might find it funny but then felt guilty because he knew those prizes never worked after the third slap. They got all dirty and lost their stick. He hoped Janus would understand his intention. Janus took the sticky hand with a smile and eyebrow raise. He was amused, good. Roman found Patton mesmerized, watching the ducks in the pond game. (quack) He won Patton his own rubber ducky, which Patton adored, running around with it like they were partners in crime. All Roman needed now was a prize for his emo. He found a booth with spider plush prizes. He played that game three times so Roman could trade in his three little dragons for one black spider with purple eyes. It was exhausting work but worth it. Roman gave the spider to Virgil. Unlike Patton that would have ran off in fear, Virgil accepted the little guy with stars in his eyes. He walked up to Roman, faces an inch apart, and seemed to consider hugging him. Instead, Virgil took a step back, blushing bright, and mumbled thanks with his head low to the ground. Then he trotted off to the safety of others. Roman took a moment to collect himself before following Virgil.

Remus was not a very enchanting person. Deemed repulsive by many, he struggled to show others his love and gratitude. Of course, Janus understood him. That's why they were best friends. But Remus had bigger goals in mind. He had four others he needed to prove himself to, constantly. In fear of falling out of their favour, Remus was always on the lookout for new ways to impress people. Knowing his ideas never worked out, he took notes from the one person he could count on to woo; Roman. Yes, that ugly, self-centred, annoying bully of a brother. And he wasn’t saying that because he was jealous, even if Janus disagreed. Remus often tried to copy and imitate certain things his brother successfully did in hopes they would succeed in his favour too. At this moment, he watched as Roman bounced from booth-to-booth, showering gifts to the others and in return, they would smile and thank him. Seemed easy enough. He looked for a booth that he thought he would have a chance at. Remus found the whack-a-mole game sporting a morning star whacker. What could be more him? Liking his odds, he went all out. After a while, he won five plush dinos. Filling his arms with the cuddly little plushers, Remus reunited with his group again. Excitedly, he ran up to Janus, showing him his haul. Janus held a calmer enthusiasm but was still shocked when Remus gifted one to him and Logan. They both awkwardly held the gift, not sure exactly what to say. Although Remus knew that Logan was more excited about his gift than Romans because Logan was fascinated with dinosaurs.  
On his way to Virgil and Patton, Remus didn’t even bother to stop walking when passing Roman. Remus merely threw the prize at him as Roman earlier did the same. Walking up to Virgil and Patton, Remus held a small plush dino in each hand. Not sure who should get which one, Remus simply struck out both hands and let the two decide themselves. Patton and Virgil looked at Remus, confused. Then at each other. Polite-boy Virgil waved for Patton to have the first pick. Patton giggled at the formality and chose the green dino in Remus’s left hand. Everyone thought Remus had given it to Patton so he could one-up Roman’s prize, and he didn’t deny that. Remus didn’t expect Patton to think much of it. He had so many other stuffies, why would his prize matter? Remus and Virgil watched as Patton squished the dino, inspected it, tossed it in the air, and aggressively cuddled it.  
“It’s perfect,” Patton said.  
Toy in hand, the little hyper bug ran up to Logan and launched the dino at the stroller. As if it was a basketball net when Patton “scored” he cheered for himself. Logan, on the other hand, looked like he was about to flee for his life at the action. Recomposing himself, he took the cotton candy away from Patton. It was for everyone's safety, he would later say.  
Remus still held the last dino. Virgil returned his attention to Remus. It was now just them two. Realizing Remus was still offering the gift, Virgil quickly took it and thanked him.  
“Remus, you didn’t have to do this.”  
“Okay, maybe not Stormy. But, like, I did. And now everyone likes me more. Just look at everyone… so... happy.” Without me, he thought. He had done everything Roman did, and they still treated him the same. It changed nothing.  
“Yeah, I guess,” Virgil replied, concerned, “umm, hey Remus? Wanna head to the photo booth? I was thinking of going with Roman and Patton. But I’d love for you to tag along too.”  
“Yeah, yeah, sounds intimate.” Remus replied, distracted.  
“Eww, Remus. Stop saying those things, or I may retract the offer!”

Compared to the rest of the park, the photo booth wasn’t very popular or exciting. Which was great, for they did not have to wait in a line-up and then stressfully take a few pics as quickly as possible not to annoy others in the line. At least, that was always a concern of Virgil’s. All six are at the booth, standing around.  
“Are you guys going to get the photos from the booth, or is this supposed to be a trick?” Logan questions.  
“Haha, you’re right. I’ll go first!” Patton scrambles into the booth, then peaks his head out from the curtain, “you guys coming in?”  
“Oh, definitely,” Roman answers, motioning for the other two to go ahead of him, and Remus gets in, “Virgil, you coming?”  
“Yep, what’s the rush?”  
Before he steps in, Remus cuts in.  
“Virgie, you’re not gonna take photos with that spider, are you?”  
“I, uh…”  
Roman looks directly at Virgil, and he can’t read Roman’s face. Patton jumps.  
“Spider! Virgil has a spider! Virgil, don’t be so cruel. Do you know how scary they are?”  
“Patton, it’s not a live spider.” Logan clarifies.  
“Still, it’s a spider…” Patton mumbles.  
“Yeah, no. Don’t worry Pat, I’m not bringing it in. I totally forgot I was still holding onto it.” Virgil lied. He was too embarrassed at the moment and gave it to Logan before scrambling into the booth. Janus gave him a look of disappointment because he knew Virgil lied. He couldn’t dare to look at Roman. They took chaotic photos. Virgil knew Patton would inevitably put them in one of his many scrapbooks. Virgil stuffed the photos in his hoodie pocket. Something of his friends he could always keep close to himself. Roman removed Patton from the booth. He buzzed with the insane amount of sugar he inhaled from his cotton candy “lunch”. Passing by Virgil, Roman gave him a look of disappointment, as if he rejected Roman through his earlier embarrassment. Virgil ran out of the booth after Roman.  
“Roman, wait, please!” Virgil called out.  
Roman turns around, his hair swishing in slow motion, holding Patton’s hand and a neutral expression plastering his face. He raises an eyebrow in response to hearing his name.  
“I’m sorry for upsetting you, Roman.” Virgil freaked.  
“Virgil,” Roman laughed, “I’m not upset. Sure, I’m an over-reactor, but honestly, I’m not mad at you for something as petty as that. Please, I’m better than that.”  
“Oh, well, overthinker, haha. If you’re sure.”  
“Yeah, I am,” Roman said sincerely.  
Virgil was relieved but was silently cursing himself for being so foolish. Of course, he put together assumptions with no proof. Roman grabbed onto Virgil’s hand with his empty one. With Virgil in one hand and Patton in the other, Roman led them to the mirror house.

Janus wanted to bring cheer to Logan. He had been standing around all day and didn’t seem to be having any fun. Of course, Logan said he wasn’t interested in rides, but there were more ways to have fun than rides. If Janus knew Logan well, and he believed he did, Janus knew that Logan loved to learn. And loved to share his learnings. If Janus asked Logan to explain how something worked, it would bring stars to his eyes, full of excitement.  
“Hey Logan, tell me how space suits work.”  
“Well, sure… so a bit of background, you understand how the atmosphere of outer space differs from ours, right? It is cool, actually!”

The trio entered the mirror house. Roman loved the way it gave him a giant head, or, like, long legs and a tiny torso. Roman felt as if he had two toddlers with him. Patton yanking his left hand to move faster was released, to preserve Roman’s hand from being pulled off. Virgil gripped securely onto his other hand. As if relaxing his grip would make him lose Roman. Was this adorable or concerning? The clip-clap of Patton’s sneakers faded out. Virgil’s hand left Roman’s, and the clip-clap of Virgil’s shoes faded out too. He didn’t watch but assumed Virgil chased after Patton. Roman had his eyes glued on the mirrors. It was a small hallway, a sliver interior shining red from the coloured lights lining the crease where the wall connected with the ceiling. The light bulbs were big, and so were the mirrors, making the room feel smaller than it probably was. This hallway was empty and quiet, for it was just Roman inside. One particular mirror caught his attention. It was a full-body mirror, and it wasn’t distorted at all. Or was it? Roman couldn’t tell, which made him feel worse. The reflection showed him a small, slim boy. His red-reflecting hair was frizzy yet greasy. Roman ruffled his hair, only making the frizz worse. His skin was dull, and he should have worn make-up. Should he work out more? His body showed weakness. Was it the fries? Roman knew he shouldn’t eat like that. His feet were too small, and his nose was too big. Maybe the shirt filled him out? He could tie it with an elastic to make it smaller.  
A sharp pang shot up from Roman’s toe, making him wince and squat down to hold the injury. His foot had made contact with the metal wall. After a few moments of rocking back and forth, he stood up again. He realized how close he had gotten to the mirror. His face was inches away. He didn’t remember getting this close. He also didn’t remember beginning to cry, but he was. It was silent tears. Hot, raw pain, dripping quickly down his face. Collecting at his chin until it was too heavy and it would fall onto his shoe. He just watched his left shoe get more and more soaked. A microscopic puddle forming at the toe. His eyes got itchy, and he felt dry inside, but somehow the tears still came. Roman didn’t understand why he was crying. It may have started from the pain in his toe, but it became much more than that. Was he frustrated at himself? Or the world? Was he ashamed of himself?  
The silence of the hallway was no more. Footsteps grew louder, and Roman looked up. He made eye contact with Virgil and quickly broke it. Virgil couldn’t see him when he was weak.  
“You’re crying,” Virgil said in a whisper.  
Virgil was right beside him now. His eyes scanning all over Roman, his concern was obvious.  
“Whoop-de-doo, Sherlock, you nailed that case!” Roman retorted.  
Silence followed, and Roman relaxed a bit. The tears stopped falling, but a wall of them on his eyelids blurred his sight. Virgil didn’t press on the conversation and was just there for him. After a bit of time, Roman opened up.  
“Do you ever look in a mirror and see everything you don’t want to see. Every time I look in a mirror, I see a flaw, after flaw, after flaw. My imperfections, I can point out so easily. The whole world probably sees them too... I just hate my reflection! What a hero, huh, I can’t even save myself! How could others ever look up to me?”  
“Every mirror in this house has the same job,” Virgil grabbed Roman’s hand, securely gripping it, “to make us inspect our reflection. It shows us different versions of ourselves, none of them accurate. Even this mirror is flawed. No one sees beauty in a mirror. We see it through the human eye. We should see our reflections like a relationship. We start a distance from the mirror, getting a general idea of the person. The more trust and love we build, the closer we get to the mirror. We start to see the imperfections of the person now that we’ve gotten closer, but does that make us love them any less? No. We accept them. No one is perfect, cliche, I know. Sometimes when you get too close to the mirror and see all your flaws, try taking a few steps back to see your overall beauty.”  
Roman pulled Virgil in for a hug. Tears may have been shed, thanks may have been exchanged, what is known is that they swayed in that embrace, back and forth for a few meaningful moments.

On their way to the haunted house, Janus fell in love. They were waiting in line, and Janus had put on his shades and wished he had an iced coffee with him. A voice called out his name. A deep voice, one you could find comfort in. One you could securely fall asleep to.  
“Janus? Excuse me, but are you, Janus, like your shirt says?”  
Turning around in slow motion, Janus looked upon this absolute piece of art. It had to be illegal. This man was beautiful. Slow, sexy music played. His vision had a border of pink hearts, and sparkles flew across his “screen”. Janus felt like he was in a dating sim. This man had soft chestnut locks that fluttered over his face. His build was tall and fit, making his tank-top stretch nicely over his abs. His green eyes sparkled with a youthful energy that contradicted his mature voice and build. This man was wearing a deep maroon tank top, white shorts, sandals without socks, a watch and earbuds that seemed to be more an accessory than of use.  
Maybe he had become delusional from the heat, but Janus swore that this man had just winked at him. Janus’s heart swooned, and he decided that this man was named Eddie and that Eddie and Janus were gonna get married, he was gonna take Janus out of this sun patch. They would sit together on a shaded bench sharing ice cream.  
Heartbreakingly so, this would not be the case. Janus, in his moment of gay panic, spluttered out the most basic and un-flirtatious response he could have said at that moment.  
“Uh, yeah I am. What do you want?”  
“Oh, um… sorry, it’s just the shirt says that if lost, return to Logan and Janus and your shirt says you are Janus…”  
“I know that... why are you telling me this?”  
“It’s just that…”  
“You totally didn't forget Remus, if that is what they were worried about,” Remus said in a mock-Janus impression as he fronted from behind Eddie.  
“Oh, um thank you! Wow, I didn’t even notice, haha, that’s embarrassing.”  
“It’s alright,” Eddie chuckled while rubbing the back of his neck, “children are hard to deal with. I had a lot of younger siblings to deal with growing up.”  
“I- he’s not- they’re not my-” flustered and embarrassed, Janus was upset that Eddie thought these were his kids, he didn’t look that old! Did he? It was too late. Eddie was gone. His romantic moment ended with a pile of word vomit and no connection.

Logan refused to go into the haunted house but insisted Janus go and have fun. As to make sure Janus didn’t feel guilty, he suggested that by going Janus could keep an eye on Remus. Who on multiple occasions would be removed from the park after entering a haunted house. Something about them triggered Remus into going wild. He would act like he was one of the haunters and make people cry, even adults. When entering the house, Janus pulled Remus aside to set in place the rule.  
“Remus, if you are going to take part in the haunted house experience, you must not scare the people. Understood? You are not a scarer. You are here to experience the walk-through house. Okay?”  
A smile smeared onto Remus’s face, and Janus knew he had found a loop-hole.  
“Okay, I promise. However, the rule doesn’t restrict me from scaring the scarers!”  
“You got me there. If you can scare them, then go for it. Just saying, it is their job to not be scared. I’d be surprised if the scarers broke character.”  
They decided to walk in conga-formation to not lose anyone. Virgil volunteered to go in the front, Patton next, Roman was placed in the middle, then Remus and Janus securely in the back.  
Why did Virgil decide to take the lead? He wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he loved haunted houses. It was one of the few places where everyone became as anxious and paranoid as him. Haunted houses were a place where it was normal to be scared.  
Entering the house it is hard to see anything at all. Spider webs coated the walls and furniture. The waiting room was covered in bookshelves and trinkets. All very historical and off. A low ambience of screams, creaks, and organ matched with a draft of cold air coming from the bookshelf got Virgil's heart rate quickening. Patton and Roman seemed to be on the same wavelength as Virgil, if not a bit more intense. Remus seemed too excited, looking around at all the details and giggling. Janus was completely unfazed, crossing his arms and tapping his foot. When the bookshelf opened, it revealed a small hallway. They assembled their conga line and went through.  
Virgil walked down a tight, claustrophobic hallway. No doors, no lights, just one direction. The temperature drop unsettled him. Virgil was glad he had his comfort hoodie with him. Taking one slow step at a time, he began to focus on his breathing. Virgil rescanned everything in his vision, yet the darkness revealed nothing. They were coming up on the first turn in the hall, and Virgil was convinced that someone was waiting around that corner. He braced himself and picked up the pace to get it over with. Power walking down the hall, head down, Virgil could only hear his steps. A hand grasped his arm right before he turned the corner, making him jump a foot in the air. He screamed and realized it was just Patton trying to keep up. Patton also screamed in reaction. A spooker jumped out at them, making them back into the wall and scream again. When the other three caught up with them, Virgil and Patton were on the floor laughing together.  
The experience, mainly, was the same throughout. Virgil and Patton freaking out together and laughing about it a second later to cope. Their vocal cords were pretty much dead, and their lungs were sore from the giggles.  
Near the end of the house, they thought they were safe. Virgil was convinced they had made it through and it was a fun success. Opening the exit door, Virgil prepped his eyes for the bright sunlight. It was no longer going to be dark and cool. It was probably the one thing he was going to miss at this house. It was not bright out; it was quite dark. Two big arms reached out from the dark and lunged at Virgil, who freaked and grabbed a-hold of Patton protectively. Inspecting closer, the arms belonged to the body of a clown, whose face was melted and leg was limp. He slowly moved towards them with a chainsaw in hand. Patton and Virgil looked at each other. The colour had drained from their face, and all that was left was fear. Emotion took over; logic wasn’t even in the house. Their flight from fright kicked in. They stumbled into Roman’s arms, who held them tight near his chest. Virgil hid his face in Roman’s body, the warmth reminding him he was safe. He didn’t open his eyes until they were out of the house.  
Roman was glad; he got to play the prince. Two damsels that he would do anything for ran to him for safety. Him. He felt so honoured. He was determined to protect them. Keeping the securely in his grasp and comfortable, he trekked forwards. Forget his fear; this clown could not hurt them. He made sure of that. His face became stone-cold, and it even made the clown take a step back in shock. That only made him feel stronger. He got the precious cargo to safety, with the help of Janus, of course. Janus was a stone wall. He blocked everyone from getting past him. No scarers would take his family from behind, no sir.  
Roman was certain that Janus didn’t get spooked once. Of course, how could he forget Remus? Remus had managed to scare the clown. Hiding behind Janus, he grabbed his morningstar and lunged in the air, screaming. The clown immediately put the chainsaw down and threw his hands in the air. This made Remus dance with joy and laugh with delight at his accomplishment.  
“Consider me, surprised,” Janus muttered to Remus, who only smiled even more.

Remus had a problem. It had been one of the most joyful days of his life, but it felt incomplete. That is because, Remus felt, his Logan just wasn’t having enough fun. This man had stood in lines, without boarding the rides; sat on picnic benches waiting; eating food and not using the energy it gave. It just wasn’t right. Logan needed to have fun. Remus was determined to provide that. The heat was dissipating, and the lines were lessening. There wasn’t much time left, so Remus had to work fast.  
Confidently walking up to Logan to take control and exude power, he grasped Logan’s forearm, pulling him along. Logan, obviously confused, stumbled a few steps and dragged his stroller behind him using his freed arm. The others, curious, quickly followed them. Remus had picked up the pace, and Logan tried to slow down by stopping. That failed. That merely led to him being dragged, so he continued to walk.  
“Remus, where are you taking me?” Logan looked around and corrected himself, “Us.”  
“We have to make the line before it gets too full. It is quite a popular ride.”  
“Ride? Remus, I have to say, if you didn’t realize, I’m not much of a “ride” person.”  
“Logan, sweet foolish Logan, this is not merely a ride. This is a ride with us. And it is the us-part that makes any ride more enjoyable. It is what makes you a ride person.”  
“Although completely illogical of an assumption, I have to admit that I have not been a very objectively fun person today. Therefore, I will accompany you all on this… roller-coaster? Remus, seriously, you chose the roller-coaster?”  
“So judgy today, teach,” Roman remarked.  
“You’re right, you’re right. Enough with the complaints. I shall have fun on a… roller-coaster.”  
Although completely dreading this moment, Logan wondered if maybe he was being as dramatic as the twins. It was just a roller-coaster. A ride that whipped you through the air like an angry kid would with a marionette doll. Maybe it was fun? The rush could be exhilarating, refreshing, laughable. If he was going to do something silly, he might as well laugh while doing it. And he did.  
The gang boarded their cart. Logan, Roman, and Remus in the front. Patton, Janus, and Virgil in the back. Logan could hear them all giggling at him. In excitement and disbelief that Logan was doing this with them. The cart slowly moved over, and Logan prepped himself. Grabbing the handlebar, squaring his shoulders, and crunching down on his teeth. The rush happened. He was flying through the air: loops, drops, being upside-down! The wind rippled his hair and dried out his eyes. It carried his voice away from him.  
The view was stunning. The sun was setting, leaving a peachy-glow on all the metal structures. A forest surrounded the park, and he could see a small pond, with a smaller family having a picnic beside the pond. They seemed peaceful. The cart yanked his vision away to the parking lot, where he located his car among many other dots of vehicles. Businesses and street lamps lit up, the car's headlights began to light-up. It was like a different world from the moment before. Electrical. Logan laughed, and he couldn’t stop. The whole ride Logan laughed, raising his hands in the air and being childlike. It was being so uncharacteristic and silly that made it fun. Remus’s tacky hand grabbed onto Logan’s dry one. Together they kept them up while descending the slope. It was too loud and fast to speak, so Remus signed to him.  
“Fun?”  
“Fun.”  
Mission accomplished.

Worn out, the sides plopped down at their favourite bench. A pile of cheeseburgers surrounded by a ring of lemonades was waiting to be devoured. They didn’t argue with that. The sun had now officially set, and the moon had centre stage. The stars were her accompaniment. A swift breeze stole the day's heat away, leaving a coolness behind. They put on their knit-sweaters for warmth. The colourfully electric lights buzzed in the background, replacing human chatter. Only a few groups of stereotypical teens kicked around. The conversation was nothing of importance, just predictable dinner-table rambles.  
“Cheeseburger, yum.” Roman sighed.  
“Okay caveman,” Virgil insulted with his storm grey eyes, that could have a look of you idiot and I adore you at the same time.  
“Lemonade… spicy,” Patton added on.  
“Spicy?” Logan questioned.  
“Lemonade’s not known to be spicy,” Janus informed  
“Said the liar.” Virgil jabbed again.  
“Boy…” Janus no longer had a comeback for that one.  
“Apparently you haven’t tried my lemonade,” Remus snickered. Janus playfully shoved him for that.  
“Sour, I meant, you know… sour.” Patton corrected himself in a slur of tiredness.  
“Yeah, we get…” Roman mumbled, zoning out while fiddling with his straw.  
“Lemonade,” Remus snickered to himself.  
“Okay!” Logan decided to take everyone home before they slept at the park, “Time to leave, let’s go to the car.”  
They all exhaustively whined but still got up as though they knew it wasn’t going to work, but they just wanted to anyway. Throwing out trash like model citizens, they collected their stuff and strolled out. Passing by the admissions booth, Roman tapped the glass, and an adorable man in a cardigan waved back at him.  
“Anytime you wanna talk, my offer still stands.” Roman winked at the guy who blushed and held up Roman’s phone number as if in confirmation.  
Virgil was speechless, “Offer? What offer? What- how-”  
“Like you said,” Roman mic-dropped, “I just found another prince and wooed him.”

In the car, they all resumed their seats. Logan and Janus in the front, the other four crammed in the back. Now with the addition of a giant stuffed bear. They decided to lay it across their laps like a blanket covering. Patton fell asleep before Logan started the car, right onto Virgil’s shoulder, who smiled while paying with Patton’s hair. When Janus saw this, Virgil defensively glared, which made Janus dramatically sigh before turning back around. Getting onto the road home, Logan and Janus conversed about how surprised they were that Remus didn’t get kicked out and that Patton didn’t get lost. Remus took no offence to this. He merely focused on pushing his back into Roman, who when startled, was assured by Remus that he just wanted to get comfortable for a nap.  
Janus and Logan continue to converse, but Logan knew that he was losing Janus to sleep. His sentences got shorter and quieter. His mutters were indecipherable. Logan let Janus ramble on until he went silent and then faded into a light snore.  
Roman, who was stuck in the middle, had a terrible view through the window. With Remus now asleep, there was no point in playing a game or starting a conversation. That could risk waking others up. He chose to snuggle into Remus, Patton, and his big red bear. He rested his eyes, and into his imagination, he flew.  
Logan and Virgil were the only ones left awake. It was very calm and peaceful when it was the two of them.  
“How much longer?” Virgil broke the silence.  
“Hmm?” Logan had been daydreaming again. He realizes that probably is bad considering he is driving.  
“Until we get back home? How much longer is the drive?”  
“I would venture about twenty more minutes,” Logan calculated, “In the meantime, would you like to play a game?”  
“Wait, I don’t think I heard you right. Did The Logan Sanders ask to play a game?” Virgil giggled in disbelief.  
“Yes, I believe he did. But if you would rather not, I am quite content to keep driving in silence.”  
“No, no, no… I’m teasing you. Of course, I’ll play. Alphabet game?”  
“Why not, I will start,” Logan decided. Looking at the town, there were bright signs everywhere. There were so many distractions downtown, including restaurant advertising, outdoor bar fights, drive-in theatres. The city was so uncivilized at night. Logan always stayed indoors for that reason. A tall building caught his attention, “A… the Apple technology company.”  
“Nice one, although let me remind you that this is a game, not a test. I know what Apple is, teach.”  
“Fine, fine. I understand. It’s your turn now.”  
B... he found the best one.  
“Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Now that should earn me extra, don’t ya think?”  
“I do admit, that is impressive. But how about Cheddar’s Casual Cafe Company?”  
“There’s no way, oh wait no, I see it. Dang-it! Good one though.”  
Virgil had to find something starting with d. Looking out the window, there were so many options: too many options. Everything was racing by too fast to process. His hands were numb, and his heartbeat raced. Virgil’s stomach woke up the butterflies inside, swirling faster now. He had to be quick. Choose an answer, but not a dumb answer. That could lead to judgement. What even was a dumb answer in a children's game? Yeah, a child’s game. It’s easy, why was it difficult? Focus! The thoughts, too many swirled unable to be processed. Virgil froze. He panicked and spluttered out stupidity.  
“I- there’s nothing. Sorry, this is really hard… for some reason. Ugh! Da- de- dang… di-”  
“Let me stop you right there. Is this game too stressful for you? It’s supposed to be fun, but you seem to not be getting the enjoyment.”  
“No, no. I mean, yeah, it is. Look I’m really sorry, it’s stupid. I freak over nothing, and it’s really embarrassing.”  
“I don’t believe so,” Logan ventured to Virgil’s confusion, “What I do believe is that this “embarrassing freak-out” is normal for you. You didn’t do it intentionally, and you’re trying your best to deal. There is nothing stupid about dealing with mental illness. It should be normalized by now. But until then, please do not apologize to me for things out of your control.”  
“Wow, Logan... thank you. Thank you for understanding. This is why I totally aspire to be like you one day.”  
Ha. Okay.”  
“No, I’m serious. You have such a pearl of vast wisdom that helps everyone. When things go out of control, you are the peacemaker. You bring everyone to their senses. You always are so confident and leader-worthy.”  
“While very ego-filling your words may be, I thank you,” Logan struggled to put his thoughts into speech, “however, I have to admit while I seem confident I assure you I am far from it.”  
“What do you mean?”  
Logan laughed a bit to himself before answering.  
“Anyone can appear confident if they want to be. Sure I am more confident with my facts backing me up and research ready to defend me. Without it? Sometimes, I feel very lonely, Virgil. Sometimes I do not know the answer. I bore and frustrate people, and it leaves me very alone. Even in crowds, I feel very out of place. I dream to feel as though I belong. Occasionally I do. With you I do. I like being with you because you understand me in ways others do not. Virgil, you understand people and comfort them. That is something I struggle to do. The way you notice the underdog, or when someone seems “off”. Those are the things that are great about you that I look up to. We all have role models. We need to think less along the lines of being like them and more along the lines of being like their best traits. Because that is why we look up to them. Their good traits. We are all human, with flaws inside. Even our role models are flawed. Everyone is different, and no matter how hard we try, we cannot be a clone of our role model. Be the best version of yourself, Virgil, and soon you’ll inspire everyone around you.”


End file.
